The Opportunity Has Just Begun

This getting dressed up to go out really wasn't my thing, I would have much preferred to stay in my sweats and lay on the couch watching a movie, I was exhausted. But I had no other option, everyone was going out and I couldn't say no to this one. Especially if Sid was going to be there.

“Hey Cam you almost ready?” Megan stuck her head into my room as I was slipping on my dress.
“Yeah almost, can you help me do this up?”
“Sure... Are you ok?” she asked clearly catching onto my silence.
“Yeah just a little nervous. I want to go but I don't want to make a fool of myself,” I admitted sitting down on my bed.
“Why because Geno's there?” she smiled.
“That's exactly why,” I kept a straight face not seeing the lighter side in any of this.
“Oh honey, that boy loves you no matter what you think. He has had dibs on you from at least the moment I met you,” she sat down next to me and put her arm around my shoulder.
“He hasn't had dibs on me,” I frowned.
“Think whatever you want to think but I see how he looks at you, and how territorial he gets when anyone else is nearby, especially guys.”
“He's just being a good teammate,” I shrugged.
“Not on the ice,” she narrowed her eyes at me, “now come on, we have to get going soon.”

I guess when I thought about it Geno was around a lot of the time on his own behalf and even when he wasn't the moment I asked him to be around he was, always right by side making sure everything was ok. Maybe I needed to give him the benefit of the doubt on this one, at least for a while.

“Everybody get looking at me, yeah man, yeah man, I am a VIP, I got the rhyme, I got the critics, I got the chicks, I got the money money, money.”
“Hey James,” I laughed at the already drunk winger who caught us out on our way over to join the rest of the team on the lounges.
“Hey Cam, come dance,” he grabbed my hand.
“Not yet, let me have a few then we will see,” I offered but didn't plan on actually going through with it.
“Ok, I will be back,” he puffed and disappeared into the crowd of people.

I cringed and continued over to where Sid and Megan had already made themselves comfortable.
“Cammy!” Sutsy cheered, “come sit,” he patted the seat next to him for me. I glanced over everyone quickly to try and find Geno but he was no where to be seen so I went with it.
“Hey,” I was a little skeptical about his hand around my waist but I knew he wouldn't do anything so I left it.
“You played good tonight,” he smiled and I knew it was half the alcohol talking with him because Brandon was never this handsy.
“Thanks, you didn't do too bad yourself.”
“You want a drink?” he offered tilting his glass towards me, “I get you one,” he stumbled to his feet.
“No I will come with you,” I didn't think it was safe for him to be walking all on his own and besides I wanted to see if I could see Geno anywhere.
“Ok,” he put his hand out for me and I gladly accepted.

To anyone else it probably would have looked like we were together, that he was protecting from other guys or something but really I was protecting him from wondering eyes of other girls.

I stood in arms reach as Brandon ordered us a wild turkey each and scanned the area around us.
“What's up?” he asked putting his hand on my back.
“Is Geno here yet?”
“He was, I don't where he went though,” he admitted, “don't worry about him, just have fun, let loose, you deserve it.”
“Yeah, I guess once I have a had few drinks I will feel a little less up tight.”
“Good, I like it when Cam has fun,” he smiled, “now lets go sit down.”

I followed him back feeling a little bit like a lost dog but when we returned Geno was there, some girl sitting next to him. I would like to have thought she was talking his ear off and he didn't care but I couldn't tell and was only thinking it to make myself feel better.

“Cameron go say hi,” Megan nudged me in the side with her elbow.
“No he's in the middle of a conversation.”
“To be honest I think it's a little one sided,” she pointed.

And then I saw it, he was bouncing his knee like he did when he was nervous, his eyes darted around the room every so often and he was tracing the top of glass with his finger. Every bit of his body language screamed get me out of here. Poor guy, but it made me feel better.

I grabbed a napkin from the table and tore off a tiny piece, big enough that when I threw it at him it would get his attention without it being a giant ball of paper.

His eyes shot up and he looked around the seats before his they landed on me. I offered him a warm smile and his features soften in return. He picked up the piece of napkin and threw it back. The girl he was with noticed what was going on and rolled her eyes before leaving.

I watched intently as he got up and walked over to me, his eyes never really breaking from mine. He could be so intense sometimes and that made a shiver run right the way through me.

He sat down on the coffee table in front of us and fell into a conversation with Sid before I got a shot at talking but by the placement of his foot in between my feet so our ankles were touching told me I wasn't being ignored.

“Why are we just sitting here?” Megan leaned over.
“I don't know,” I shrugged.
“We should be out there dancing,” she pointed to the floor, “I mean look at these girls.”
“I don't think we have to do that,” I tilted my head at how they were all dancing. I hated doing that kind of stuff but I guess that's how girls got there way, flaunted it until the guys took the bait.
“We don't have to but it could be fun,” she shrugged, “come on lets go.”
“Fine,” I let her drag me to my feet.

“You guys going to come dance?” she smiled as Sid and Geno looked up at us questioningly.
“Uh ok,” Sid agreed.
I turned to Geno and he smiled before standing up, I guess he was going to come too.

“Now,” Megan stood in front of me with her arms around my neck and started swaying her hips “if you want Geno you got to show him what he is missing out on.”
“But...” I tried to protest.
“Just go with it.”

We continued dancing together before Sid appeared behind Megan with a cheesy, drunk grin on his face.
“Your meant to dance with me,” he whined.
“You will get your turn soon,” she laughed and opened up to let him join us.

I felt a pair of large hands on my waist and I sucked in a breath as they pulled me closer hoping it was Geno but doubting only because things never usually went the way I hoped.
“Is ok Cam, just me,” his thick Russian accent made the butterflies go wild in my stomach.
“Good, I was worried for a second than,” I sighed relaxing into his arms.
“I protect you,” he tightened his arms around me.

God what was I getting myself into? I know this was what I wanted but now it was going my way I was a little reluctant. I cared about Geno too much for this to be just a one night thing, something because we were drinking and everyone else was doing it. That wasn't me.

“Can we go sit down, it's a little hot and making me feel kind of sick,” I pulled his hands from there spot on my waist and headed back to the lounge chairs.

“Cam you ok? Not mean to do something you not want,” he sat down next to me and grabbed a hold of my hands.
“I just...” I sighed, I had to just get it over and done with and tell him there was no point in beating around the bush about it, “I like you... a lot and all this,” I gestured to everything going on around us, the people making out across from us, “I don't like it, it's not me and I don't want to do something with you that I later regret.”
“Understand, not everyone like clubs, like Sid but is ok.”
“Yeah but he's out there having fun not being lame like me.”
“Sid drunk, he do anything drunk, you not... We can go home, watch movie,” he offered squeezing my hand.
“You don't have to leave if you don't want to, I will be fine.”
“No I come, rather be with you.”